Colors of the Five
by Robert Teague
Summary: For their latest plot to destroy all color, Murky and Lurky travel to Trollz World looking for magic to use against Rainbow Brite. Will his plans work out, or can he be stopped?
1. Chapter 1

Colors of the Five

A Rainbow Brite/Trollz crossover

by Robert Teague

This story is intended for the entertainment of Trollz and Rainbow Brite fans, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story may be reproduced, provided no changes are made, and you let me know.

Author's Note: My first story with Rainbow Brite in many years! I've written three stories crossing over Trollz with Winx Club, and (in my mind, at least) the worlds work very well together. So now I'm trying another crossover that I hope will be equally successful. Enjoy!

Chapter One

In a peaceful forest, the quiet of the day was shattered when a roaring noise became audible, growing louder. Soon its cause came into sight- a small space ship whose main body was an old storage tank, with a very large barrel and pointed metal cone attached. A bubble dome was on top, and thick fins made of steel girders provided stability. Two small bat wings on either side were flapping, but exactly what they did was anybody's guess. Propulsion was provided by a horn at the back, belching fire and thick black smoke.

The ship lurched downward, and finally landed in a clearing, barely missing a tree. The engine shut down and the smoke dissipated, much to the relief of the nearby animals and plants.

After a minute the dome tipped back and two figures climbed out.

"What are we doin' here, Murky?" asked Lurky. The large, brown-furred mutant sprite with the huge nose scratched his head and looked around. It was pretty here, surrounded by tall trees in a hilly area, brush and bushes dotting the landscape. In the distance rushing water could be heard. Nobody was around.

"Lamebrain!" Murky growled, He was a very short, middle-aged man with pale blue skin and a moustache, bushy eyebrows, and a black and gray outfit. He had a short temper as well. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Lurky thought about that. "Five?" he ventured.

Murky shook his head and pulled out the Gloom Gun and checked its readiness. "Listen this time! My Long-Range Magic Detector discovered that there is a lot of magic on this planet, so we're here to get some of it! We'll use it to defeat that Rainbow Brat!"

"How are we gonna do that, Murky? I don't see no magic around here..." was the reply.

"And just what does magic look like, cheese brain?" asked the villain, looking at his henchman.

"Uh..." said Lurky, scratching his head. "Rainbow's rainbow is magic!" he said with a grin.

"Ahhh... close enough," he grumbled. Murky knew well that Rainbow Brite's Color Belt was really very advanced technology, but there was no sense in trying to make Lurky understand the difference.

From another pocket he pulled out the Short-Range Magic Detector, flipping the switch and moving it around to get a reading. The magic was close by, he could tell. They had traveled a long way from Rainbowland to this place and the trip had better be worth the effort!

Once he got the magic, he could beat that Rainbow Brat and the Color Kids, destroy those horrible bright colors, and return the world to its natural state; gray and gloomy. Without the signal from the Color Castle, all the colors everywhere would fade away, leaving everyone sad and vulnerable to his control. He would rule the universe!

"It's stronger this way! Come on, and be quiet!" Murky said.

"Okay, Murky!" said Lurky, cheerfully, and followed his boss through the woods.

rb/bffl rb/bffl rb/bffl

South of the great city of Trollzopolis was Mystic Fallz Park, where trolls from all over came to camp out, have picnics, swim, hike, and do all the other outdoor things people everywhere enjoy.

The main feature of the park was Mystic Fallz, where the river that ran through Trollzopolis split up and fell in five tributaries over a thirty foot cliff. At the bottom the water was pooled again, and ran off toward the sea.

The Fallz were magical, and anyone who looked at their reflection got a surprise. The water only reflected the truth, and there was no way of knowing what you would see.

A campsite just in front of the Fallz had a large tent set up. A picnic table was laden with food, and a fire blazed in a stone grill.

Five troll-girls were there, enjoying the day and each other's company. Collectively they were called the BFFL, Best Friends For Life. They lived close together and had known each other since they were very small, and now they were fifteen, sophomores at Trollzopolis High School, and celebrating eleven years since they first met.

Amethyst van der Troll had pink hair that stood high, and violet eyes with a certain wisdom visible. She was wearing a pink skirt and blouse that left her midriff bare. In her belly button rode a pink, heart-shaped gem that was the focus for her magic.

Sapphire Trollzawa wore a blue sweater and pink skirt. Her hair was set in a ponytail that was tall and curved back to itself. She had glasses on her forehead, and freckles. She was brilliant, but still rather innocent. Her gem was shaped like a blue flower. Her eyes were light blue.

Ruby Trollman had red hair styled into a five-pointed star and red eyes. She was well tanned, and wore a white t-shirt with a green star, jeans and sneakers. The belly gem she had was a red star. She acted like she was the leader of the BFFL, a position Amethyst actually had. Her eyes were an unsettling red.

Topaz Trollhopper was blond and rather ditzy. Her hair was spiky and stood straight out from her head. She had amber eyes and a friendly, if somewhat vacant, expression. But she was fashion forward and not stupid by any means, just scatterbrained and easily distracted. She also tended to take things literally. Her gem was a yellow diamond, and she had amber eyes.

Onyx von Trollenburg had black hair gathered in two balls held by buckled leather belts, and wore mostly black with pink dots, boots, and a smirk. She was rather sarcastic and edgy, but was really a lot more sociable than she pretended to be. Her gem was indigo in color, and shaped like a crescent moon. Her eyes were dark blue and she had a mole on her upper lip.

All five stood three feet tall, their hair making them seem twice that. They were thin, and their heads were a bit big for their bodies, but that was compensated for by their arms and legs being thicker at the ends creating an odd symmetry. They had three fingers and a thumb and pointed ears.

Meanwhile, Murky and Lurky had crept through the woods and were now behind a convenient bush, listening. The detector had led them to these five, and from the readings they were very strong.

"What kinda people are those, Murky?" asked Lurky, staring. He thought their hair was pretty and colorful, and big.

"They're trolls, chicken breath," was the answer, "And that means we're on Trollz World."

"Trolls? Really? Do they live under bridges? I always wanted to meet Billy Goat Gruff!" said Lurky with a grin.

"Not THAT kind of troll! That's just a fairy tale! These people live in cities, like they do on earth!" said Murky, "And keep your voice down. We don't want them to catch us spying!" He turned his attention back to the trolls in question.

"What do you think that noise was, Amethyst?" asked Ruby, looking at her friend.

"I don't know, but I'm sure I saw smoke that way," she pointed, "I hope the forest isn't on fire."

"Me too!" said Topaz, "That would ruin everything!"

"Eh," said Onyx, shrugging, "The Rangers will take care of it."

"Maybe we should find out," said Sapphire, "We can use the Magic of the Five to put it out."

"Magic of the Five?" thought Murky, frowning.

"Hey, we're here to celebrate BFFL Day!" protested Ruby.

"Yeah, but we have to help if we're needed," said Amethyst, "That's what our Ancients told us, remember."

"Okay, okay, if we're needed, we will," said Ruby, turning away and crossing her arms. "But in the meantime, let's eat!"

"What are we gonna do, Murky?" asked Lurky, looking at the small man.

"We're going to wait right here, tomato brain, and keep watching," he replied, "And the minute they show us this 'magic of the five', we'll swoop in and take it!" He hefted his Gloom Pistol and clicked off the safety.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The five troll girls went back to the grill and table, preparing for lunch. While Onyx, Ruby, and Sapphire set the table,  
Amethyst went to the grill. Topaz went to get the condiments.

"Hey, Ruby," she called, "The fire's dying. Where's the other bag of charcoal? This one's empty."

The redhead slapped her forehead. "I left it at home!"

"I've got it!" said Sapphire. She plucked a blue bead from her bracelet. It was a spell bead, used by troll girls to cast spells. The bead was like a potion in solid form. The gem in the girl's bellybutton channeled her inner magic to it, and a rhyming incantation activated the bead.

"We need more fuel to cook the cow, bring that bag of charcoal now!"

She tossed the bead and it landed by the grill. There was a loud PUFF! of blue smoke, and when it cleared the wanted item was there.

"Thanks, Saph!" said Amethyst, opening it.

"Did ya see that, Murky!" exclaimed Lurky, pointing.

"Yeah, that's pretty impressive. We need to get some of those beads..." he answered.

"Can we get some burgers too? I'm hungry!" said Lurky.

"Maybe later," Murky replied, the smell was making him hungry as well.

They continued to watch as the five troll-girls enjoyed their day, occasionally using magic to do something, such as taking them to the top of the Fallz, so they wouldn't have to walk the long way around. They would hold hands and jump over the Fallz, grinning and yelling all the way down.

"Gee, Murky, that looks like fun!" said Lurky, "Can we do that?"

Murky rolled his eyes. "Did you bring a bathing suit?"

Lurky deflated. "No."

"Then you can't do that," answered the colorless villain. "Besides, I know something that will be even more fun. Getting that Magic of the Five from those trolls."

"How we gonna get it, Murky?" asked the furry sidekick, scratching his head.

"They're going to GIVE it to us! That's how!" he hefted the gloom pistol.

The BFFL finished swimming and changed into their clothes. As they approached the grill for a snack, Topaz suddenly froze in place. Her eyes grew wide and she shivered.

"Tope? What's the matter?" asked Amethyst, putting her hand on the blonde s shoulder.

"W-we're in danger!" said Topaz quietly, looking around.

"She having a vision?" asked Onyx.

"Apparently so," answered Sapphire, waving her hand in front of the unseeing amber eyes.

"Huh? Is it a fire? I don't see any smoke..." said Ruby, scanning the tops of the trees.

"No, not a fire... someONE, not someTHING," said Topaz. Suddenly she gasped and pointed at the bush where the villains were hiding. "They're right over there!"

Realizing they were busted, Murky hid the gloom pistol behind his back and jumped out of the bush, followed by Lurky.

The five trolls gasped.

"Who are you?" asked Amethyst.

"I'm Murky Dismal," he replied.

"And I'm Lurky!" said the other with a grin.

Onyx raised a black eyebrow. "Murky... and Lurky..." she crossed her arms and frowned.

Amethyst laughed nervously. "Okay, I'm Amethyst, and this is Sapphire, Onyx, Topaz, and Ruby." She gestured at each one in turn.

"Hi, nice to meecha!" said Lurky with a smile and wave while Murky narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Um... you too..." Amethyst snuck a glance at Topaz, who hadn't moved beyond staring at the visitors. She still looked scared, and the pink-haired troll had to agree; Murky was giving off a bad vibe. Lurky not so much.

"So, what can we do for you?" asked Amethyst, giving a wan smile and taking a step forward.

"Can I meet Billy Goat Gruff?" asked the furry creature, eagerly.

The troll girls looked at each other. "Who?"

"Never mind that!" Murky growled, and pulled out the gloom pistol. "What you can do for me is give me the Magic of the Five!"

"I knew it!" cried Topaz, breaking her paralysis.

"Oh, we'll give it to you, all right," smirked Onyx.

Moving as one, all five plucked a spell bead from their bracelets and held them up. Their tummy gems flashed and the beads answered.

Murky turned his head away briefly at the sudden bright colors.

"Pretty colors!" said Lurky, clapping.

In perfect harmony, the trolls started a chant to activate the magic beads. "These bad guys really..."

Murky fired the gloom pistol and the charge landed neatly between them, releasing dark smoke that covered the area, making the girls cough and stop the chant. Then they made a sound between a groan and a sigh as the smoke blew away. Their hair drooped around their heads, something that happens to every troll when they are upset or tired, or in this case, gloomy.

"We may as well give up," said Amethyst.

"Yeah, we can't win against Murky," added Topaz.

"What's the use of fighting?" said Ruby,

"We'll do whatever you want," said Sapphire.

"I knew we'd lose all along," Onyx muttered.

They put the unused beads back on their bracelets as Murky grinned and rubbed his hands together. Lurky just looked concerned.

Chuckling, the villain went over to them, Lurky following closely.

"Gee, Murky, they're only as tall as Rainbow Brite!" said Lurky.

Murky looked up at his sidekick. "Yeah, they are. So what?"

"Maybe Rainbow and the Color Kids are trolls too!" finished Lurky, proud of himself for the logic.

"Look at them, tofu brain! Does Rainbow Brite have three fingers and a thumb?" he asked.

"Uh... no," answered Lurky after looking over the girls.

"Does Rainbow Brite have pointed ears?"

"No, she doesn't..."

"Well, that's because she ISN'T a troll! Get it?"

"But she has almost as much hair as they do!" protested the mutant sprite.

Murky slapped his hand over his eyes, then slid it down his face. "She isn't a troll!"

Lurky shrugged. "Okay, Murky, if ya say so!"

The villain, a foot shorter than the trolls he had captured, turned back to them. "All right, now, I want you to tell me all about the Magic of the Five."

To his surprise the answer he got was given in unison by his prisoners. "Any spell we cast together is many times stronger than if cast by just one of us."

"Do you have to use those beads?" he asked.

"Yeah, but once we could do magic without them," said Topaz.

"Then Simon took the ability back," added Onyx.

Murky made a mental note to ask about this 'Simon' later. "Give me one of those beads," he commanded, holding out a hand.

Ruby plucked one from her bracelet and handed it to him.

He grimaced at the red of the bead, but held it up and looked through it. Inside he could see dark specks that were likely to be the ingredients.

"How do I use it?" he asked.

"You can't," said Sapphire, "You have to be a female troll. Boys don't have magic."

Frustrated, Murky growled. He put the bead in his pocket for later study.

"Hey, Murky, let's eat before the burgers get cold!" called Lurky, who was using his huge nose to good effect at the table.

"You five come and serve us," ordered the villain, turning toward the food. He was really hungry now, and those burgers smelled good.

Murky and Lurky sat and ate noisily and messily while the girls brought them food and Trolla-colas. While he ate, Murky was lost in thought. This "Magic of the Five" was useless to him as it was, but there must be SOME way of taking advantage of it!

Suddenly the solution hit him! He sat up straight and grinned. Then he resumed eating.

"Did ya get an idea, Murky?" asked Lurky, shoving a whole pack of hamburger buns into his mouth.

"Yeah, I did! We're gonna use these trolls to bring Rainbow Brite here, and right into my trap. Then we'll go to Rainbowland and destroy all the colors forever!" he cackled.

"I knew it," muttered Onyx.

Once they finished eating, the villains left the mess and prepared to start the plan. Murky beckoned the BFFL over to a clear area near the Fallz.

"All right, here's what I want you to do," he told them, "Cast a spell that will remove all the colors from the world."

In unison, the troll-girls plucked beads from their bracelets and held them overhead. Their tummy gems flashed, causing Murky to close his eyes and turn his head.

They chanted: "Our Master says the colors must go, we want that too, so make it so!"

Five spell beads hit the ground and burst in a cloud of multicolored magic.

"YAY!" said Lurky, clapping and grinning with delight.

The dissipating cloud suddenly turned gray, as did the grass where the beads landed. The effect spread out around them, climbing trees and bushes, and causing animals to flee.

Murky cackled with delight as the girls shoulders slumped a little more. They were already gloomy, but now it was worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Red Butler glanced at the clock display on his section of the Color Console and saw it was nearly noon. If no problems showed up in the next few minutes he would call a halt to the day's work and they could go get ready for the party. It was Twink's birthday, an event they had all looked forward to for some time, and he really hoped they could finish soon.

He looked around the Console, checking each Kid at their station. Tickled Pink had taken over Canary Yellow's station and was concentrating on entering commands. Canary stood behind her with a hand on the chair, watching.

"What do I do about this?" asked Pink, looking back at Canary. She pointed at a readout.

The Color Kid of Yellow leaned forward and examined the readings. "Add a touch of shading. That should make them right."

Pink nodded and entered the suggestion. "That did it." She smiled. "Thanks."

Canary returned the smile. "Those kevva flowers are always tricky. And they are a prime target for Wajah's people to absorb the color."

"Yes, I've noticed there isn't much yellow there," answered Pink, standing up. Canary took her place and made a few more adjustments while the Kid in charge of non-spectral colors looked to see if anyone else needed her.

"It's nearly party time!" announced Red in a loud voice.

All the Kids sat back and stretched. It had been a long morning of refreshing the colors on half a dozen inhabited planets.

"Does anybody have any problems that need immediate attention?" he continued, and got six negative answers. "Okay, then, let's go party!"

Each Kid raised the lever that lowered the color crystal intake and closed the panel, then locked their section of the Color Console and stood, talking about the upcoming party. Then they headed for their individual Keeps to get ready.

Soon everyone was downstairs in the dining hall. Besides the Kids, the room was filled with sprites helping celebrate the white sprite's special day. There was plenty of cake and ice cream for all. Outside various games had been set up and were waiting to be used. Stormy arrived a bit late, and then Moonglo came in, yawning. It was sleep period for her, but she wasn't going to miss this.

Several hours later the party wound down and everyone went their own way, wishing Twink a final 'Happy Birthday!' as they did. Rainbow Brite helped the sprite carry his presents to his dome-shaped house just beyond the bridge to the Color Castle. During the summer Twink slept in a hammock in the Castle's belfry above Rainbow's room, but during bad weather or winter he preferred the house.

Rainbow waited as Twink put away the presents, then they walked back to the Castle, talking about the party and greeting other sprites that passed by.

When they passed through the double doors they found the Kids had returned to the Console and were busy entering commands. All of them had opened the color crystal intake hoppers and their sprites were standing by to add more as needed.

She and Twink exchanged a glance then went over to her friends.

"Something wrong, Lala?" she asked, nimbly skipping up the step to her.

The orange Color Kid glanced at her. "Yes, Rainbow, there's an area on Trollz World that has lost all color and is slowly growing larger," she answered. "It started about a half hour ago.

"I estimate it will engulf the entire planet in about twenty hours at its current rate of expansion," said Shy Violet.

"Any idea how it happened?" asked Rainbow, studying the Console's readout.

Red typed on his keyboard and frowned at the results. "All I can tell you right now is that there was no failure of the Color Emitter. The signal is steady and at full strength. No stoppages reported."

It didn't happen often, but occasionally there was a glitch in the system and the color signal stopped for a moment. If it did, sometimes an object's color would fail, leaving it gray. That in turn would affect nearby objects and they too would lose color. The cascade effect could spread to a wide area if not checked in time. But that did not seem to be the case here.

"Rainbow," called Shy Violet, "My analysis shows the colors are gone, not being suppressed or hidden."

Rainbow Brite thought for a moment. "Check the rest of the planet, see if it's happening anywhere else."

The Kids set about the new task, and after a minute reported in the negative. "The color signal is reaching the ground and working normally." said Buddy Blue.

"Sounds like Murky at work to me," Twink said.

Rainbow nodded. "It does to me too. But why would he be on Trollz World? Twink, go get Starlite. I'm going to charge up the Belt."

The white sprite saluted and headed for the door while the leader of the Kids took the stairs to her room two at a time. A minute later she came back down, Belt fully charged and an extra pouch of star sprinkles attached.

"Good luck, Rainbow, we'll keep working here," called Red as she reached the door.

"Okay, everyone, see you later!" she replied, and went outside. A large white horse with a rainbow mane and tail was there.

"Good afternoon, Rainbow," said Starlite, "Twink tells me we have a mission. Well, the Most Magnificent Horse in the Universe is ready!"

Rainbow smiled, patting the horse's muzzle. "Glad to hear it! Let's go, before the problem gets any worse!" She climbed on her friend's back, giving Twink a hand to settle in behind her.

"We're all set, Rainbow," said the white sprite, "My pouch is filled to the brim! Hope it will be enough!"

"Me too," she replied. A touch on the Color Belt's star caused a wide rainbow to form under Starlite's hooves and travel upward into the sky. Its path took it over the mountain where the Color Cave was, and disappeared in the distance.

With a powerful leap, Starlite took off, heading upward at an impossible angle. His passengers not discomfited at all, but watching the ground as it shrank below them.

Soon they were out of the planet's atmosphere, and the rainbow veered away from its usual path, toward earth, to take them to Trollz World.

"Rainbow, tell me about Trollz World, I don't think I've ever been there," said Twink.

"Oh, that's right, you had a bad cold the last time I went," was the answer, "It's a place a lot like earth, but there are many types of people living there. Trolls are the main civilized race, but there are gremlins, goblins, orcs, ogres, elves, pixies, and more."

"Trolls?" said Twink, looking worried, "Are they big and scary?"

Both Rainbow and Starlite laughed.

"No, they aren't," said Starlite, glancing over his shoulder at the sprite, "They're about as tall as Rainbow."

"The few I've met are friendly," added Rainbow, "I think you'll like them."

"Okay, Rainbow," said Twink, smiling.

Soon the disk of Rainbowland disappeared behind them, and the rainbow passed through a warp portal. Starlite never broke his stride as they passed through. On the other side the rainbow preceded them toward a distant blue and white dot. The sun shone brightly in the vacuum of space, the stars around it colorful and bright.

As soon as the disk of Trollz World was large enough, Rainbow Brite scanned it with her color-aware eyes, looking for the place that had lost its colors. Finally she pointed to their right and down a bit. "There!"

Twink looked hard, but couldn't see it. He had never been able to spot a colorless area before Rainbow did, but he kept trying.

The rainbow bent toward the problem, and Starlite ran along it. Now they were traveling down at an impossible angle. Soon they reached the ground and the rainbow curved to a gentle end. As soon as the horse stepped off of it, it vanished.

The three companions were in a beautiful wooded area, with huge trees and tall grass. They could hear water rushing somewhere ahead. There was no sign of trouble here.

"Starlite, do you hear that water? Let's go there," said Rainbow.

"Sounds good to me, I could use a drink," he answered. He walked forward through some bushes and along a path made by animals going to the river.

A few minutes later, Starlite gasped and stopped walking. He ducked behind a tall bush.

"What is it?" asked Rainbow. She trusted the big horse to have taken the right action. She and Twink climbed off his back.

"Take a look for yourself," he answered.

Rainbow and Twink moved a branch aside carefully, and took a look.

There, in an open place in front of five waterfalls, was a colorless area. Seated at a now gray wooden bench were five troll girls. They were just sitting, with sad expressions. Their big hair drooped behind them. Rainbow had learned that a troll's hair would do that if they were upset or tired.

"What do we do, Rainbow?" asked the sprite, looking up at her.

"We have to talk to them, Twink, find out what happened. Starlite, you stay here." She took a cautious step into the open.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

As soon as she was clear, the girl with bright blond hair pointed at her, and the other four turned to see who it was.

"Um... hi, I'm Rainbow Brite, and this is Twink," she said with a friendly smile.

There was no answer from them; they continued to sit and stare.

"Can you tell me what happened? Why the colors are gone?" she said, just a bit of anxiety in her voice.

As one, all five nodded. But no answer was forthcoming.

"Rainbow," said Twink in a low voice, "They're acting like they got hit with Murky's gloom cloud."

"You're absolutely right, Twink," she said, "And we know what to do about that."

"Too bad you'll never get the chance, Rainbow Brat!" came a familiar voice behind them and to their left.

"MURKY!" cried Twink, drawing closer to Rainbow's leg.

Rainbow quickly turned toward the voice, to find the evil man standing with his Gloom Pistol ready, and sporting a nasty grin.

"Uh, hi, Rainbow!" said Lurky, cheerfully waving.

"What are you doing on Trollz World?" asked Rainbow.

"Besides messing it up?" added Twink from the safety of behind Rainbow.

"We're here to get some magic," answered Lurky, "I hope it's pretty..."

"QUIET, lamebrain!" snapped Murky, glancing at the large furry creature.

Lurky slapped a hand over his mouth, looking apprehensive.

"I'll stop you!" declared the blond girl, hand moving to the star on the Color Belt.

"Oh, no you won't! NOW!" said Murky. He lifted the end of the pistol away from Rainbow.

Rainbow and Twink quickly looked back at the troll girls, who had quietly stood up and clustered together. The one with red hair was holding something in her palm, and the others had put a hand each over it.

"This girl and friend are way too nice, cover them both with lots of ice!" they chanted.

The one holding the object (it was a spell bead, Rainbow noted absently) tossed it at them. With a burst of red smoke Rainbow and Twink were encased in thick, clear ice. From his hiding place, Starlite gasped, but held his position.

Murky spluttered, putting away the pistol. He came over and put his hands on the ice, peering in at his enemy. "I told you to stop her!"

"We did," answered Amethyst.

"But now I can't get the Color Belt from her!" frustrated, he threw up his hands.

"Sorry, master," the BFFL chanted together.

"Gee, Murky, I bet she's cold..." said Lurky, putting a hand on the ice, then quickly removing it.

"Who cares?" retorted the villain. He stood thinking for a minute, then grinned. "This doesn't change anything. It will take a long time to melt the ice, and by then it will be too late!"

Lurky turned to him. "Too late for what, Murky?"

"Too late for her!" he cackled, pointing, "It's the end of Rainbow Brite!"

"Not if I can help it," thought Starlite, gathering himself to spring. Murky's next words stopped him.

"Let's go, Lurky, back to Rainbowland. We'll come back later and get the Belt," said Murky, and turned toward the bushes.

Antenna drooping, Lurky looked at the chunk of ice at Rainbow, frozen with a look of surprise. Twink had his eyes closed and a grimace distorted his face. Lifting a hand, he waved briefly at the girl. "Bye bye, Rainbow..."

Suddenly Murky seemed to remember something. He turned back to the BFFL, who were standing and staring. Their clothes and hair were very bright against the gray of the grass and trees around them.

"You five guard her, and don't let anyone get her out!" he ordered, "And be careful. If Rainbow Brite is here, her horse isn't far behind. Let's go, Lurky."

The villainous duo disappeared into the gray brush with a rustle of leaves.

Still hidden, Starlite waited. He was anxious to rescue Rainbow and Twink, but he had to make sure Murky was out of hearing range. Finally he could stand it no longer, and ran forward into the clearing.

"Look, a horse," said Topaz in a monotone, pointing at him.

"Who cares?" asked Amethyst.

"I don't," nodded Ruby.

"If we don't get her out, she's going to die!" exclaimed the white horse.

"That was the point, wasn't it?" asked Sapphire.

Seeing they would be no help, Starlite turned his back to the ice, and gave it a powerful kick, breaking off a large piece.

"Stop that," said Ruby, no inflection in her voice, "It's too late for her. Better to leave her there."

"NEVER!" exclaimed Starlite, rainbow mane flashing. He gave another kick, breaking off a bigger piece this time.

"We have to stop him," said Sapphire, pulling a spell bead from her bracelet.

Ruby, Topaz, and Amethyst turned to her, putting their hands over the bead. It flashed a bright blue, matching the glow from her tummy gem.

Unknown to Murky, Onyx LIKED gloom and solitude, so was less affected than the others. She had been struggling mentally against the gloom cloud's effects since it hit them, and was having some success. The flash of color from the bead brought her over the top of the uphill struggle, and she snapped out of it.

"NO!" she shouted, and the others turned to her.

"We can't do this! We have to save her!" she took a bead of her own and activated it.

"Trolls are gloomy, trolls are sad, turn them back before things get bad!"

With a toss, the bead exploded, covering her friends with an indigo cloud. They immediately started groaning.

"Oh, my head... but I feel a lot better!" said Amethyst.

"Me too!" giggled Topaz. But any other comments were short-circuited.

"HELP ME!" cried Starlite, giving the ice another blow.

"Let's do it, girls!" said Ruby, holding out the bead. Four hands clamped over it. "Get out of the way!"

"She can't breathe and she can't see, melt the ice and set her free!" they chanted in unison, and Ruby tossed the bead. It struck the ice, which promptly melted.

Rainbow and Twink gasped, falling prone in the cold water. They both lay, taking in huge gulps of air.

"Rainbow! Twink! Are you all right?" asked Starlite, coming over to her and putting his nose against her cheek.

She reached up and patted his muzzle. "Yes, Starlite, I'm okay. Twink?"

"Y-yes, Rainbow, I'm cold, but in one piece," answered the white sprite, shivering.

Suddenly each of them had two troll-girls beside them. One helped them up and the other put a blanket around them. Then they were led away from the water and over to the table, where they were sat down. Towels were handed to them, and they wiped their faces.

"Thank you," said Rainbow, giving Amethyst a wan smile as the pink-haired troll handed her a cup of coffee. One was waiting for Twink as well, but he refused it.

"Sorry, this is the only hot drink we've got," said Topaz.

"We're really, really, sorry!" said Ruby, "That guy did something to us, and we were soooo in the dumps we just did whatever he told us to!"

"I know," answered Rainbow, nodding, "That was Murky's gloom cloud. It has that effect on people." She took a sip.

"So, what's that guy's deal, anyway?" asked Sapphire, "And with making us destroy all the colors?"

"He wants everything everywhere to be like this," answered Twink, wiping his leg.

"Ugh, everything is ugly, now," said Topaz, looking around.

"And it's only going to get worse, unless I stop it," said Rainbow.

"You? What can you do? asked Sapphire.

"We put all the colors in the world," said Twink, dropping the towel and standing up.

"Really?" asked Onyx, skeptically, crossing her arms.

"Just watch!" said Rainbow, standing up. She touched the star on the Color Belt, and a rainbow emerged, gaining height and swooping around the trees. It was dropping glittering dust as it went, and wherever it touched, the colors came back.

The trolls stood and watched, eyes wide and jaws open.

"Wow..." they said collectively.

"But Rainbow, won't Murky come back to see what happened?" asked Starlite, looking in the direction the villain had gone.

Just then they heard a roaring noise, and saw a distant dot trailing thick black smoke rise into the sky. It was soon lost to sight.

"I guess not..." said Sapphire, staring.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"We'll go after Murky soon," said Rainbow, looking around, "But we need to fix the damage here first." She put down the cup, grabbed Starlite's mane and pulled herself up. Twink climbed up behind her.

"What can we do to help?" asked Ruby.

"This is OUR job!" protested Twink.

"Just stay here. We'll be back soon," the blond girl answered. "Stand back a bit."

The troll girls stepped back a couple of paces and Rainbow touched the star on the Color Belt. Once again a rainbow appeared under Starlite's hooves, and he took off along it.

The Best Friends For Life could not help but stare, mouths open. They were used to magic, but this was far different from anything they had ever seen before. Their eyes followed the trio as they headed off on their mission.

"Wow..." said Onyx, in a monotone.

"That is sooo cool!" said Ruby.

Topaz giggled. "Wish I had thought of that!"

"I wonder if my grandma and the other Ancients ever did anything like that?" asked Amethyst.

Sapphire shook her head. "I don't know, but I'm going to keep that in mind for an emergency road if we ever need one."

A minute later the rainbow faded away.

"Well, let's clean up the mess that Murky and Lurky left while we wait," said Ruby.

rb/bffl rb/bffl rb/bffl

About an hour later, Starlite trotted up from the woods. He let Rainbow Brite and Twink off his back, and went to get a drink of water from the Fallz.

"Hi!" said Rainbow, waving and smiling.

"We're baaack..." added Twink with a grin.

"Hey!" said Ruby with a grin in return, "You hungry? We've got lots left over."

"But what about Murky?" said Twink, looking worried.

"The rainbow is faster than his space ship," answered the blond girl, "We'll get there before he does. Don't worry, Twink, we've got time."

A few minutes later Starlite munched grass and leftover veggies while Rainbow and Twink enjoyed hamburgers and Trolla-Cola.

As she ate, they talked and got to know each other.

"So you know the Ancient Trolls?" asked Amethyst, stunned.

"Yes, we met a couple of times back in the day," Rainbow answered, "I got involved helping stop a plot of Simon's. Odd coincidence I would meet their students."

"Ever since we discovered we have the Magic of the Five, we've attracted all kinds of weirdness and trouble," said Onyx.

"HEY!" said Twink, glaring and crossing his arms.

"Oh, uh, I didn't mean YOU!" amended the dark troll, holding up her hands and putting on an apologetic smile.

Rainbow giggled. "I know." She wiped her mouth and sat back a bit. "That was great! Thanks so much! But we really need to go after Murky and Lurky."

"Too bad," commented Starlite, "The grass around here is really good."

She and Twink resumed their places on Starlite, then looked around to say goodbye to their new friends. But nobody was there.

"Hey, where did they go?" asked Twink, looking the other way, but not finding them.

"Hear that?" asked Starlite, twitching an ear toward the Mystic Fallz. "Sounds like engines."

"Is Murky coming back?" asked Twink, cringing against Rainbow.

Just then the troll girls came around the bushes, riding their skoots. They were like motor scooters without wheels,  
hovering a few inches above the ground. The riders were now helmeted and ready for travel.

"We're coming with you," declared Ruby.

"Yeah, that Murky almost messed up our whole world, and we want in on stopping him," added Sapphire.

"Fashion doesn't work very well if all you have to use for color is grayscale," giggled Topaz.

"Besides, I've cornered the market on the gloom around here," said Onyx.

"I can't stand by and let him win!" put in Amethyst. "Let us help. Please."

Rainbow Brite smiled at them. "You're just like your Ancients. Come on!" She tapped the Color Belt's star, and the rainbow appeared under Starlite's hooves.

The great horse took off, heading upward while the trolls just stayed behind and stared.

"Do we really want to do this?" asked Onyx, eyes tracking the rainbow that vanished upward.

"We committed ourselves. We can't back out now," answered Ruby, and gunned her skoot. The others followed.

They found that, while the rainbow angled up steeply, they weren't affected by gravity. Their skoots stayed where they should, and the world dropped away quickly.

After a few minutes, they could see the curve of the planet, and the sky overhead was getting darker.

"I KNOW we're above the breathable atmosphere," said Sapphire, looking off to the side, "Anybody having trouble?"

"No, we're all fine," said Amethyst, glancing around at her friends.

"We're also traveling a lot faster than our skoots are able to," put in the brilliant blue-haired troll.

"It's funny, but I'm not afraid, and this is way outside anything we've ever done," said Onyx.

"Must be part of her magic," said Amethyst. The horse and his riders were some way ahead, and the stars were now all around.

After another couple of minutes had passed, Sapphire looked behind her. "Hey, guys! The planet's gone!"

The others looked, and indeed Trollz World was no longer under them. The rainbow stretched back toward where it had been.

"We're really moving fast, now!" said Sapphire.

Up ahead, Twink was looking back at their new friends.

"You were right, Rainbow," said the white sprite, "Trolls ARE nice! But I gotta admit, I've never seen so much hair!"

"And colorful, too! Did you notice they represent a good portion of the rainbow?" asked Starlite.

"Yes, and it's great to make some new friends!" answered Rainbow. "How are they doing back there?"

"I think they're staying about the same distance behind," said Twink.

"Warp portal coming up, Rainbow," said Starlite, "I'll drop back so you can warn them."

"Good idea!" was the answer.

The big horse slowed his pace and the skoots caught up with them a minute later.

"See that circle of light ahead?" called Rainbow, "That's a warp portal that will take us to Rainbowland!"

"A warp portal? Wow!" said Sapphire. "How does it work?"

"You can ask Shy Violet when we get there," was the answer. "Be careful, the sudden change of scene can be disorienting."

Onyx raised an eyebrow. "Shy Violet?"

"One of the Color Kids!" answered Twink. "There's Red Butler, Lala Orange, Canary Yellow, Patty O'Green, Buddy Blue, Indigo, Shy Violet, Tickled Pink, Moonglo, and Stormy."

"Sounds like a colorful bunch," muttered Onyx.

"You'll get to meet them all when we get there," added Rainbow.

"Speaking of which," Starlite interjected, and plunged through the portal without breaking stride. The five skoots followed.

"That wasn't so bad," said Onyx, "We've been through worse."

Up ahead a different sun shown, with the rainbow traveling toward the distant bright disk that was their destination.

As they neared the end of the trip, the trolls once again noticed that, although they were traveling straight down toward the ground, they weren't afraid or feeling vertigo. Gravity still felt like it was from the rainbow.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the sights below. She automatically looked for anything "off" as she came home, and this was one of the few times the action was rewarded. So to speak.

"Starlite, Twink, look! Something's wrong!" she pointed ahead.

"Yes, Rainbow, the colors are fading!" said Starlite, slowing just a bit.

The trolls just behind were listening, and exchanged glances.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed the sprite, "Murky must have gotten here first!"

"Maybe... or there might be another problem." answered Rainbow, pointing at the Castle far below. "The Color Signal isn't working." Sure enough, the rainbow emitted by the star atop the Color Castle was absent.

"So Murky isn't here yet. Whew!" said Twink, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow.

"I can't say for sure, but we still need to be on our guard!" said the Guardian of Colors, "Let's go!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The rainbow terminated just outside the moat surrounding the Color Castle, and as soon as the last skoot was off, it vanished.

"Welcome to Rainbowland!" said Rainbow Brite, as she and Twink slid off Starlite's back.

The five troll-girls sat and looked around in wonder. Even though the colors were not as bright as they should have been, Rainbowland was still beautiful.

The Color Castle was an imposing edifice, sitting just beyond the moat to their left. To the right the round domes of the dark orange sprite houses sat in neat rows. There was the occasional star-shaped tree, and in the distance the mountains sat. One far ahead had snow on it.

"Wow..." said Onyx in her monotone, while thinking 'Wish I had brought my shades.'

"This place is beautiful!" exclaimed Amethyst, smiling.

"I just love how everything is so coordinated!" said Topaz.

"Wonder if they have a mall..." thought Ruby, looking around.

Sapphire's light blue eyes followed the river from the moat back to Rainbow Falls and the Color Cave. "Hmm... I haven't studied color physics, but I'm pretty sure the rainbow colors in that waterfall aren't from refraction. They cover the entire fall."

"The river comes from the Color Cave, where we mine Color Crystal," explained Rainbow, "And the water picks up small particles of it. It naturally separates by color, so we get a rainbow waterfall. It also helps distribute the crystal all over Rainbowland, which is why the colors are usually so bright."

"What's Color Crystal?" asked Ruby.

Twink took a Starsprinkle from his pouch and gave it to her. "The raw crystal we make Starsprinkles from."

The small orange star-shaped crystal in Ruby's hand flashed and glittered. The other trolls came over for a better look.

"Something is definitely wrong, Rainbow," said Starlite, "The Kids and sprites would have greeted us by now."

"You're right," she answered, "We'd better get into the Castle, and find out what's going on."

She took off for the bridge over the moat, with Twink right behind her. Starlite waited for the troll-girls to remount their skoots and followed them to the door. They parked them to the right of the double doors, and left their helmets. They clustered behind Rainbow and Twink, each grabbing a spell bead, just in case.

Rainbow very quietly pulled the door open slightly and looked inside.

Murky was standing on top of the Color Console, gloom pistol in hand. The Color Kids were sitting at their stations, all of them crying. On the floor all around were buckets full of Starsprinkles, and the hoppers for them were open. Sprites were going back and forth, bringing more. Lurky was standing off to the side, watching everything with a concerned look.

"Get every one of those disgusting Starsprinkles out here!" yelled Murky, "Hurry up, or you'll meet the same fate as your 'beloved' Rainbow Brite!"

The sprites chattered, and tried to move faster.

The door was closed, care being taken not to be seen or make a noise.

"They're inside, all right," said Rainbow, unhappily. "Guess he found a way to make his ship faster."

"What is he doing, Rainbow?" asked Twink, looking up at her.

"I don't know, Twink, but we've got to stop him before it's too late!" she answered. She reached for the handle again, but held back when Ruby spoke.

"Wait a sec!" said the redhead, in a low voice, "Won't he be expecting someone this way? Isn't there another way in?"

"She's right," agreed Starlite, "You should go in another way, one he won't be expecting."

"How about from your room, Rainbow?" asked Twink, pointing to an open window above them.

"Great idea!" was the answer. A rainbow appeared and wound its way up to the window. "Come on!" She jumped on it, and looked at the others. With a second's hesitation, the trolls joined her and the white sprite.

"I'm too big, so I'll stand guard here," said Starlite.

The rainbow suddenly shifted, becoming a stairway, and moved them up like an escalator.

Topaz giggled, and Amethyst looked at her. "What's funny?"

"You know I like escalators, and I've never been on one like this before!" the blond troll answered.

"None of us have," put in Onyx.

They stepped off their ride and into Rainbow Brite's room. To their immediate left was a queen-sized bed on a platform. To their right a chiffarobe. A large globe of the planet was near the center of the room, and comfortable furniture past it. A door was in the opposite wall. There was a fireman's pole through a hole in the ceiling down through one in the floor.

"Nice," nodded Topaz.

"The stairs are this way," said Rainbow, heading for the door.

They crept down the stairs until they could see the main floor of the Castle. The situation hadn't changed.

"Are you sure that's all of them?" Murky asked a red sprite.

In answer, he chattered and nodded.

"What did he say?" asked the gray villain, looking at Red Butler.

"He said yes," was the answer. "What are you going to do, Murky?"

"This!" he answered. He pointed his gloom pistol at a set of buckets filled with violet Starsprinkles, and pulled the trigger. The gloom charge flew over to them and exploded, turning all of them gray. Sprites scattered as the smoke spread out, crying in fear.

The sprites and Kids all gasped, and Murky laughed.

"Oh, no!" said Twink in a whisper.

Taking aim, Murky fired at all the buckets, turning their contents colorless, gray and grungy.

"Now, load them into the -ugh- Color Console!" he ordered.

"But... that will destroy all the colors everywhere!" protested Indigo.

"Exactly!" Murky smirked, "And best of all, no Rainbow Brat to stop me!"

Taking her cue, Rainbow ran down a few more steps. "That's what YOU think, Murky Dismal!"

Every eye in the room turned to her. The Kids and sprites beamed, while Murky looked shocked and Lurky surprised.

"Hi, Rainbow Brite!" waved Lurky.

"RAINBOW! You're okay!" said Lala.

"Oh, yeah? Not for long," growled Murky. He swung the gloom pistol toward her.

"This plot is coming to an end, from gloom and sadness now defend!" chanted Amethyst, and threw her spell bead just as Murky fired.

The bead exploded, spreading out as a burst of pink magic. The gloom charge struck the barrier and exploded, but the gray clouds did not penetrate it. The pink gathered into a ball containing the gloom cloud, and vanished with a flash. The air was clean.

Rainbow touched the Color Belt's star and the rainbow appeared. It zipped toward the villain, who dived off the Console just in time. He fell head first into a bucket of gray Starsprinkles and it fell over. He sat, looking dazed as the small crystals fell off.

"Murky! Are ya all right?" asked his henchman, coming over to him.

The bad-tempered man shook his head and stood up. "Yeah, banana brain, let's get out of here!" He turned and headed for the door, Lurky right behind him.

"I don't think so..." murmured Onyx.

As he grabbed the doorknob, Murky turned and shook his fist. "I'll get you yet, Rainbow Brite! And your little sprite too!"

The white sprite put his hands on where his hips would have been had he been human. "My name is Twink, not Too!"

The five troll-girls winced, but Rainbow paid no attention. She ran down the stairs.

Murky opened the door and ran outside, but stopped when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hold it right there!" said Starlite, stepping between the villains and the bridge.

Without a moment's hesitation Murky fired his pistol, striking the white horse with the charge. He was instantly covered in gloom cloud.

Starlite's head drooped. "I couldn't have stopped you anyway..." he muttered morosely.

Murky, followed closely by Lurky, ran over the bridge and to the left, where the Grunge Buggy waited. A few seconds later it started with a wheeze and a cough, black smoke pouring out.

Rainbow Brite, the Color Kids, the sprites and the trolls spilled out of the Color Castle just in time to watch them head down the road toward the Pits. The smoke trailed behind and the noise slowly faded away.

There was a collective sigh of relief. It had been a near thing, but Murky was defeated once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Now that the danger was over, the Color Kids and the BFFL stood a few seconds, each group assessing the other.

"Who are they, Rainbow?" asked Buddy Blue.

"Trolls from Trollz World. They helped me a lot!" answered Rainbow, looking around, "But where are the others?"

"Omygosh!" exclaimed Patty O'Green, "Stormy's on Earth, but Murky locked Tickled Pink and Moonglo in their rooms!"

"I'll let them out," said Canary Yellow, heading back inside.

"Let's all go in, and we can sort everything out," said Rainbow.

Just then Starlite came over, still sad from the gloom cloud. "He got away. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Starlite, I'll help you," was the answer. The rainbow flashed, and the big horse's head raised and his ears perked up.

"Thanks, Rainbow, I feel a lot better now!" he said.

His rider stroked his muzzle. "You go rest. We need to fix the mess Murky left."

Inside, sprites were just finishing picking up the spilled gray Starsprinkles.

"I'll take care of this first," said the blond girl. She tapped the star and the rainbow appeared. It dove into one of the buckets, but nothing happened.

"It didn't work," said Twink sadly, looking in the bucket. The other sprites looked upset.

"I would guess Murky's gloom formula is too strong," said Shy Violet, picking up a Starsprinkle and looking closely at it. "The color is entirely gone."

"All these Starsprinkles, useless..." said Red Butler, getting angry. "This will put production back days, if not weeks!"

Rainbow's shoulders slumped. "I guess we'll need to take them to the Pits and dump them."

"Let us try!" said Ruby, and turned to her friends. "Magic of the Five!"

The sprites and Color Kids stepped away from them, having no idea what these visitors were doing. Just then Canary, Pink, and Moonglo came in.

The five troll-girls held hands, and started glowing with a purple nimbus. They each held up a spell bead.

"Gray and black, the shades of gloom,  
Murky thought he'd seal our doom.  
This place of beauty will be off-track,  
Unless we bring the colors back!"

They threw the beads at the crystals, and with a flash and colored smoke, all were restored. There was cheering all round.

While sprites took the buckets of Starsprinkles back down to the storage bins to clear the floor, the trolls and the Kids all went to the dining hall to talk and have some refreshment.

"So, Rainbow, are you gonna let Murky get away with this?" Ruby asked a while later.

The Guardian of Color looked unhappy. "I kinda have to. I'd punish him if he was still here, but he went back to his home in the Pits, and the Color Belt doesn't work there."

"Why?" asked Sapphire, taking a drink of orange juice.

"The mineral that makes up the Pits absorbs all color," answered Violet, "And the wind blows particles of it around that block the rainbow."

"Sounds like my kinda gloomy," said Onyx.

"It's a terrible place!" exclaimed Moonglo.

"Yeah, there are all kinds of monsters there, and nothing grows very well, and quicksand bogs all around; it's not nice at all!" added Pink.

"Sounds like the Haunted Woodz at home," commented Topaz.

"Well, he's NOT going to get away with this, not if I have anything to say about it!" said Ruby, "How about it, girls? Want to go teach him a lesson?"

"Yeah!" answered the other four, in unison.

rb/bffl rb/bffl rb/bffl

An hour or so later Starlite, with Rainbow Brite and Twink on his back, arrived at the edge of the Pits. The BFFL stopped their skoots and looked around.

"I take it back, this ISN'T my kind of gloomy," said Onyx.

"It does look like the Woodz, though," said Sapphire.

"How do we get to his place?" asked Amethyst.

"Just follow the path. It ends at his front door," Rainbow answered.

"Let's go," said Ruby, and gunned her ride.

The troll-girls took the lead, a reluctant Starlite and passengers behind. The dead trees around them were scary, and they kept getting glimpses of things moving around them. But other than the wind and distant thunder, it was silent.

The trees soon ended, revealing the full expanse of the Pits. Gray rock stood in twisted shapes, and sudden deep crevasses filled with dark were to either side of them. Overhead the skies were full of dark clouds, heavy with rain. Lightning flashed constantly, thunder now louder in their ears. Rushing water of the No Return River could be heard as well. They all felt the crushing gloom working on their hearts and nerves.

"Ugh, I really hate this place," commented Topaz.

"Me too, Tope," answered Amethyst.

"This is worse than I ever imagined, but I'm not going to stop now," said Ruby with conviction.

"I'm with you," said Sapphire.

"This is bad even by MY standards," said Onyx with a shudder.

Another couple of miles of travel across narrow hairpin turns and loose rock rattling around brought them to Murky's door. It was a castle of the same gray rock looking like a bald monster's head, with windows for eyes and wooden door for a mouth. The wind picked up and the lightning drew closer.

They stopped at the front door. The view from here commanded a wide vista all around them.

"Should we knock?" asked Topaz.

"Oh, he knows we're here," said Starlite, "Count on it."

Just then Murky appeared in one window, Lurky in the other.

"Hi, Rainbow Brite! Hi, trolls!" called Lurky, cheerfully waving.

"How can he possibly be so happy in a place like this?" wondered Sapphire. She gave a halfhearted wave in return.

"I've asked myself the same question," answered Twink.

"What are you doing here?" called Murky.

"We're gonna teach you a lesson!" answered Ruby.

"Oh, really? How? You can't get in, and that horrible Color Belt doesn't work here," he answered, and laughed.

"You'll see," she answered, and stepped off her skoot. "Trolls?"

Taking each other's hands, the BFFL once again began to glow, but this time with a green nimbus. Murky gagged and cringed, putting his hand in front of his eyes, while Lurky laughed and clapped. "Pretty!"

"Magic of the Five!" they said, and the glow grew brighter. Twink, Starlite, and Rainbow sat silent, watching.

The trolls raised a spell bead each and their tummy gems flashed.

"Thunder, lightning, rain and hail,  
The Pits is sure to make you wail.  
Rock and pebble, water, sand.  
Make this place like Rainbow Land!"

"WHAT! NOOOO!" cried Murky as the beads were thrown in different directions.

The magic smoke obscured the view around for a few seconds, then cleared up. Nothing had changed.

"HA! You failed!" jeered Murky.

Just then there was a rumble underground. The ground shook and broke, releasing trees that grew rapidly. Beneath them grass and bushes sprouted, and bunches of flowers. Overhead the clouds cleared out and the sun shone brightly. Murky's castle suddenly turned yellow with red trim. Flowers dotted it all over. The colors were bright on the leaves.

"AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" screamed Murky Dismal.

"WOW! Pretty colors!" exclaimed Lurky.

"Now DON'T make us come back!" yelled Ruby, pointing at the villain.

The trolls turned their skoots around and drove back to the others. Behind them, Murky hurled curses and threats, and was ignored.

"Great job!" said Rainbow with a huge smile.

"Yeah!" agreed Twink, giving them a thumbs up. 'Much improved!"

"Murky doesn't think so," said Onyx, smirking.

"Couldn't have done it better myself," said Starlite.

"It'll wear off in a few hours," said Ruby.

"Oh, too bad," said Starlite.

"But while it's there, it will give him plenty to think about!" added Amethyst.

"Rotten, evil, little man," muttered Onyx.

Topaz giggled. "But he does have one thing going for him."

"What's that?" asked Sapphire.

"His clothes. They were all monochrome, but at least they coordinated!"

Laughing, they all headed back down the path toward the Color Castle, where new friends were waiting.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

They all felt a lot better once they were back out of the Pits. The troll-girls were riding to either side of Starlite,  
talking to him and his riders as they headed back to the Color Castle.

As their destination came into view, the star on top of the belfry caught their attention as it flashed. A rainbow grew from it, heading upward until lost to view.

"All right! The Signal is restored!" said Twink, pumping a fist.

"What does it do?" asked Sapphire. The blue-haired troll was always interesting in new technology.

"It maintains the colors everywhere I'm responsible for," Rainbow answered, "Look!" She pointed.

Ahead, the slightly-dimmed colors suddenly sprang back into full brilliance.

"Nice!" exclaimed Ruby.

"Everything is back to normal, then," said Starlite.

rb/bffl rb/bffl rb/bffl

Murky sat down at a table in his laboratory, trying not to look at all the living, colorful plants outside. He was seething inside. Once again, that Rainbow Brat had beaten him. But someday he would get rid of the horrible colors and rule the universe. He'd just have to keep trying.

He heard Lurky as the brown-furred creature ran to the door and outside. The colorless villain closed his eyes and shook his head as he heard Lurky cheering and yelling, having fun. Hopefully the spell would wear off.

Spells... he reached into his pocket and pulled out the spell bead he'd gotten from the ~shudder~ redheaded troll. He held it up and studied it. There had to be a way to use it... Maybe if... He dropped the bead into a beaker, and started gathering chemicals. A nasty grin played over his lips, hardly to be seen through the unkempt moustache. He'd gotten an idea, and this time, he would win!

Outside, Lurky played and ran, having the time of his life.

rb/bffl rb/bffl rb/bffl

As they passed through the sprite village, they found themselves surrounded by the happy, colorful creatures, who were waving and cheering, and calling to them in a language the trolls didn't understand.

"Keep up all this cheerfulness, and I'm gonna hurl," muttered Onyx to Amethyst. The other just grinned in reply.

The Color Kids had come outside, waiting for them, and Starlite stopped at the bridge. He waited for Rainbow and Twink to get off his back. "I need to go eat and take a nap," he told Rainbow, "I'll see you before you leave," he nodded at the visitors. Then he turned and headed off toward his favorite pasture.

And so a second party was held, this one in honor of their new friends. The Color Kids were pleased; it was unusual to meet someone their own height; everyone else was either taller or shorter.

The two smartest ones, Violet and Sapphire, gravitated together and talked science. But that was really the only close connection made.

They were given a tour of the Color Cave and sprite village, where they were very popular. Still unable to understand the small, variously-colored creatures, Topaz finally cast a spell bead that translated their language. After that it was much easier.

The Kids were interested in troll magic and the beads, so they were explained.

As the sun turned west, it became time for the BFFL to go home. They donned their helmets and cranked their skoots, which scared the sprites just a bit- machines that made noise usually meant Murky.

The Color Kids, their sprites, and Starlite gathered just beyond the moat to see them off. With a press of the star on the Belt, a rainbow formed, heading upward and back to Trollz World.

"Thank you all so much for your help," said Rainbow, smiling.

"You're welcome!" answered Ruby, "We talked about it, and decided that if you ever need us, we'll be ready to help."

"Nice to have new allies," said Red, and the other Kids agreed.

"But I need to ask you to keep it secret," said Rainbow.

"Not a problem," answered Amethyst, "But why?"

"It can hinder my job if too many people know about us," answered Rainbow.

"I see. We'll keep quiet," nodded Sapphire, and the rest nodded with her.

Patty went around and handed each troll a starsprinkle the color of her hair.

"What's this for?" asked Topaz, looking at it closely.

"Just to remind you of us," answered Indigo.

"And it will power this," added Rainbow. She pulled a key out of her pocket and gave it to Amethyst. It was like a skeleton key, with a rainbow for a handle and a starsprinkle under. "Put it in any lock, and it will bring you to Rainbowland. Each trip will need one starsprinkle."

"Wow, thanks so much!" said the trolls, in unison.

The Kids exchanged a glance. Kinda odd, the way these trolls kept doing and saying things in unison.

The trolls gathered around and studied the key for a minute. Finally the pink-haired troll put it in a pocket. They looked at each other, and without a word each pulled a spell bead off their bracelet and gave one to each of the Kids.

"We better go, guys," said Ruby, and turned her skoot to their path.

"I just hope it doesn't vanish while we're on it," muttered Onyx, but Rainbow overheard her.

"It won't," she answered, "You'll be safe all the way home."

"Good bye!" called Twink, "It was great meeting you!"

"Yes, come back and visit when you want another look at the Most Magnificent Horse in the Universe!" said Starlite.

"Uh... right..." said Onyx, raising an eyebrow.

As they headed upward, they waved back at the Kids and sprites, and were soon lost to sight.

rb/bffl rb/bffl rb/bffl

As soon as Rainbowland disappeared behind them, Onyx said, "Glad that's over."

"Hey, they were nice people!" protested Sapphire.

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm talking about," answered the dark troll.

"Oh, just a bit too cheerful for you?" grinned Amethyst.

"Uh huh. That and all the bright color." she shuddered.

"So, you don't want to visit?" asked Topaz.

"Or help if they need us?" added Ruby.

"Of course I'll help!" retorted Onyx, "But I can only take so much cheer and I've got my fill for a while."

The others laughed and rolled their eyes. Onyx was only half-serious; they knew from the moment they landed it wasn't her kind of place.

"We'll be home soon; there's the portal," Sapphire pointed ahead at the ring of light the rainbow passed through. Soon they did so as well, and after that their home grew steadily larger. The rainbow brought them right back to the place they left from.

Everything was just as they left it. The sun was nearing the horizon, so it was almost dinner time. But they had filled up at the second party, so didn't bother to eat. In fact, they were all tired, so were going to bed early.

"What an amazing adventure," said Amethyst, settling into her sleeping bag. She pulled out the key and studied it.

"Yeah, it was great!" giggled Topaz. She leaned over for a better look at the key.

"Nice to meet people who aren't trying to kill us or enslave us," said Onyx.

"You know, we're the first trolls to ever visit a planet in another system," said Sapphire.

"Hey, yeah!" said Ruby, sitting up, "That's true! We'll be famous explorers when this gets out!"

"Ruby, we can't tell anyone!" exclaimed Sapphire.

"Oh, right. Darn!" Ruby lay back down.

"We're going home tomorrow, so let's get some sleep. Night, everyone!" said Amethyst. She put the key away, lay down and settled in, and closed her eyes.

The other members of the Best Friends For Life echoed the words, and it grew quiet and still in the tent.

The End


End file.
